Category: Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
1 onion, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup unagi (eel) sauce
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet wine) (optional)
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 red apple – cored and diced
1 large orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into bite-size pieces
10 leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over low heat. Stir in the ginger, brown sugar, and chili powder. Cook and stir for several minutes until the brown sugar has melted and the ginger is fragrant. Add the onion, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic. Increase heat to medium and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 7 minutes.

Stir the soy sauce, unagi sauce, paprika, mirin, and coconut extract into the vegetable mixture; bring to a simmer. Add the pork cubes and chicken stock; return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the pork is tender and no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water; stir into the simmering pork. Add the apple and orange cubes; cover and cook until the apple is becoming tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the basil, green onions, and black pepper; cook 2 minutes more before serving.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
20 peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 30 per pound)
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons rice wine
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 dried red chile peppers, cut in half
2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns (optional)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 teaspoons white sugar

1 cup salted peanuts
4 green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
2 dashes sesame oil, or to taste (optional)

Directions

Combine the chicken and shrimp in a mixing bowl along with 4 teaspoons of soy sauce, 4 teaspoons rice wine, and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Sprinkle with cornstarch, and mix until evenly combined. Set aside to marinate for 25 minutes.

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Stir in the chicken and shrimp, and cook until the chicken has turned white on the outside and is still a bit pink in the center; about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and wipe the wok clean.

Heat the remaining vegetable oil over high heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a few seconds until the garlic begins to turn brown. Stir in the dried chiles and Szechwan peppercorns; cook and stir a few seconds until the peppers begin to darken. Add the red and green bell peppers, dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of rice wine, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil, stir in the chicken, and cook until the peppers are nearly tender, and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the peanuts and green onion until the green onion becomes limp. Stir in a few drops of sesame oil to serve.

Ingredients

4 pounds trimmed skirt steaks
2 cups olive oil
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 cups barbeque sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray’s(r))

Directions

Make diagonal cuts through the skirt steak on both sides. Cut diagonally about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch, then cut diagonally in the opposite, perpendicular direction. Repeat on the other side of the steak to complete the crisscross cuts that will tenderize the meat. When the meat is prepared, some sections will be very long. I cut the longer sections to keep them under 18 inches long.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine, parsley, basil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaves in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add the skirt steaks and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the skirt steaks from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.

Cook the skirt steak on the preheated grill to your desired degree of doneness, about 10 minutes per side for medium-well. Once nearly finished, brush the steaks with the barbeque sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the steaks over, brush with barbeque sauce, and cook 2 minutes longer.

Ingredients

12 large mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons port wine
1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 dashes hot pepper sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Remove stems from mushrooms. Set aside caps. Finely chop stems, discarding hard pieces.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in mushroom caps, garlic and green onions. Cook and stir until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until easily handled.

In a medium bowl, mix together chopped mushroom stem pieces, cream cheese, port wine, Italian-style seasoning, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, ground black pepper and hot pepper sauce.

Stuff mushroom caps with the mushroom stem mixture. Arrange on a medium baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.